Title : Rolling in the Deep

Author : Rebecca Rogers Maher

Series : N/A

Release date:Nov 10, 2015

Rating : 3 Stars

Blurb :Holly Ward is stretched to the breaking point, raising her young son alone and working long hours for minimum wage at a local superstore. Sure, she’s noticed the new guy with the easy grin and warm brown eyes, but she’s learned the hard way that relationships aren’t worth the pain. Still, when he invites her to split a lottery ticket, she figures a little innocent fun couldn’t hurt. The last thing she expects is to score big, which is exactly what happens . . . in more ways than one.From the moment he meets Holly, Ray Lopez is drawn to her quiet dignity and openhearted beauty. And when they hit the jackpot together, he’s thrilled that the single mom can give her kid a better life. The only problem is the chaos surrounding them: lawyers and reporters swarming, friends and family angling to get their cut. In all the chaos, Ray discovers an oasis of calm and passion in Holly. But with the stakes higher than ever, winning her trust could cost him everything.

Review :

One thing I always like to mention at the beginning of a short story -review is that : please don´t expect a fully developed story as it´s obvious that you can´t tell the reader as much as in a full-length novel. “Rolling in the Deep” is also a short-story which is in my opinion no disadvantage as there are no loose ends at the end. Short-storys often also have a different pace which is this case pretty fast as a lot of things happen which makes reading even more interesting! With short-stories there is almost always the need to just find out more about the story and characters. We still get a lot of information, but even then I wouldn´t mind to get more 😉

One aspect I also want to mention is that I love the characters! Both characters are special in an own kind of way which makes it interesting to discover more character traits. It´s nothing surprisingly new, but even then a good read!

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Title : A Love for the Pages

Author :Joy Penny

Series : N/A

Release date:Jun 14, 2014

Rating : 4 Stars

Blurb : Kiss. Marry. Kill. Nineteen-year-old June Eyermann has always known exactly which of her favorite Byronic heroes goes where. She’d kiss moody and possessive Rochester from Jane Eyre and marry prideful but repentant Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, leaving obsessive and spiteful Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights to be chucked off a cliff—but no. She couldn’t leave any of her heroes behind. She lives for her favorite fictional worlds. But June is about to get a serious wake up call when she returns home for the summer after her college freshman year. Stuck somewhere between feeling like a kid again under her parents’ roof and being forced to start acting like an adult with worries about her future career, June looks at the library volunteer position offered to her as a way to keep her sanity for the next few months before she can go back to school. What June doesn’t expect to find at the library is her favorite romantic heroes brought to life—all in the same man. Obstinate, prideful and even a bit rude, Everett Rockford shouldn’t exactly be “dating material,” even if June’s heart rate accelerates whenever she’s near him. But after discovering his enigmatic past and witnessing a few fiery moments of tenderness, June can’t help but see Rochester, Darcy and even Heathcliff in Everett. If she’s going to make it through the summer without becoming a tragic heroine in her own story, she has to separate the man from the ideals of fiction in her head. Because if there’s one thing she knows about Byronic love stories, it’s that they don’t always end happily ever after.

Review :There are those incredible sweet stories you come across once in a while. The kind of story that you are sure you will remember for a long time.

“A Love for the Pages” by Joy Penny is one of these stories. This new to me author managed in a wonderful way to create a contemporary romance novel that feels not contemporary at all.

If you are a fan of classical novels I am sure with “A Love for the Pages” you will find a perfect book to try out on the contemporary side of reading. You will find parts of a lot of the well known classics hidden within these pages and you will relate to the leading characters quickly.

The writing is wonderful and even the supporting characters are so enjoyable that I read this book in on session and was sad to see my new friends leave again.

AND I am not even a classic fan …

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Title : Taken By Love

Author: Sharon Kleve

Series : N/A

Release date:March 15th 2015

Rating : 4 Stars

Blurb : Book one of the exciting Taken Series will slip you into the world of drug cartels, DEA operations, and the never-waiving love between Arden and Lucy. Arden Jones is a DEA agent and has seen and done it all. His transfer to a desk job is finally in reach. But, when his good friend is brutally murdered he must go after the cartel one more time while protecting the ones he loves. Lucy Farris arranges flowers for a living, lives in a quaint house in the outskirts of Seattle, and has two adorable Siamese cats. The last thing she expects is to be kidnapped and used as bait to by the cartel to hunt the man she loves.

hort novelas are something I am not sure what to think about. Authors who can satisfy me with these kind of stories are very special as it is so difficult to tell a story within like in this case 90 pages.

Not to forget the characters about whom you of course want to learn something. So when we look at the first book of the Taken Taken series. I can say Sharon Kleve did a really good job! Wit telling most times about the things that happened in the past, she managed to reate a story that is suspenseful, refreshing and definetly read-worthy. After finishing thi story I really wished this book to be longer as I really like the characters mentioned in the book! Thanks for sharing this book with us, Sharon!

Ghost of a Chance

Kelly Apple

Pinnacle Point #1

Release date : Nov 26, 2015

When he was alive, Chance Harker was stuck in a boring job and a relationship that was going nowhere. Now that he’s dead, a whole new world has opened up for him.He has a challenging job with a PI firm, his run of a swank hotel, and plenty of interesting people to keep an eye on. The only thing missing from his afterlife is great sex. Hell, he’d settle for mediocre sex at this point. Any sex at all, in fact.Finding out the research facility run by Pinnacle Point Pharms is looking for those with strange and unusual sexual issues, Chance decides to check it out. Because if a sex clinic with supernatural ties can’t help him get a little nookie, he’ll have to resign himself to an eternity of unfulfilled desires.And no self-respecting ghost wants that.Warning: This book contains a horny ghost who tends to go invisible at the worst possible moment, a woman with exceptional flexibility, and a box of powdered donuts. The break room will never be the same again.

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Rarity

D.A. Roach

N/A

Release date : June 5th 2015

Rating : 5 Stars

Brogen Mathers can’t deal with teen drama… As an empath, she is constantly bombarded with other people’s energies. Despite coping techniques taught by her psychologist mother, it’s often too much to bear, forcing her to avoid most activities a typical high school junior would enjoy. Jay Wilken won’t let his past define him… A dead mother and an alcoholic father brought Jay to Stanton, but he doesn’t want pity. His good looks, charisma, and friendly nature quickly win over the whole student body, but he has his eye on one girl…Brogen. Brogen can’t believe anyone could be so genuinely nice. It has to be an act, right? But when Jay literally saves her from deadly jaws, she has to admit he’s exactly what he appears, and he’s worth risking the potential emotional upheaval. “Drama” might as well be Becca Grant’s middle name… Another newcomer to Stanton, Becca’s blonde beauty and abundant attitude shoots her straight to the top of the popularity charts—and she believes Jay belongs right there beside her. Accustomed to getting exactly what she wants, she launches a relentless mean-girl campaign to shake up Brogen and claim Jay for her own. Everything changes with a devastating diagnosis… When Jay learns he has a rare and potentially fatal disorder, he keeps it secret and begins to push Brogen away to spare her future pain—which is exactly the sort of opening Becca is waiting for. As Jay’s well-meaning deception unravels, Brogen realizes there is much more than her heart at stake… But how far is she willing to go to fight for someone she loves?

Review :

Three letters for one book ?

Sure NO PROBLEM …

Those would be “WOW” …

And “Rarity” by D.A. Roach is the reason for those 3 letters.

I read in some review some time ago that YA novels were “cheesy love stories” … yes sure – I remember those – I got them every Friday when I was a teenager at the newspaper stand – they weren’t actual books but more like weekly magazines.

The only thing that changed from week to week were the names of the leads and I was always like there were about 5 rotating plotlines.

But the new kind of YA novel could not be further away from those magazines. The new definition is a book like Rarity. I could spoiler the book from beginning to end – but that is not my style – I strongly suggest you simply trust me when I tell you “ did you read the blurb? And you think it might be interesting? – Then read the book you will love it”

I am not even sure if I would place a label like “paranormal” to it – sure there might be a little touch to it because auf the lead being an empath – but that’s not really paranormal is it …

It was used more in such a common way that anyone could relate to having such feelings. Even I admit to have premonitions sometimes and I learned to listen to them (mostly).

The leading characters were just great and the plotline was wonderful… not sure what else to say except

Find out for yourself … READ IT…

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Wonderwall

M. H. Soars

N/A

Release date : Oct 26, 2015

Rating : 4 Stars

There is something magical when best friends fall in love. Liv and Sebastian used to be inseparable until circumstances beyond their control destroyed their fairytale romance to dust.Liv hasn’t seen Sebastian since he walked out of her life five years ago. When she accepted her internship in London, she never dreamed their paths would cross again. Not when Sebastian is a celebrity, a singer in one of the most popular boy bands of all times. Living in the same city, their worlds couldn’t be farther apart. But when two people are destined to be together, they can’t outrun fate.

Yeah – this is definitely one of those books where you need your mp3 player ready …

If you would ask me which song would describe this book – I guess you would think my answer has to be “Wonderwall” just because M.H. Soars named the book after it …

But honestly I think “photograph” by Ed Sheeran suits it far better … you will understand why after reading it.

I had a little internal struggle at the beginning of the book because “hopping” between present and past is always a tricky thing for me and I often find myself skimming pages in such novels.

But here it worked out.

In fact the book picked up on the plot from about 50% which gained it another star in my ratings.

And yes again – the end might have been predictable – but lets be honest – shall we ? Sometimes we need such books because life is hard enough and sometimes we just want to see life like this.

The author used enough feeling and depth to create an easy readable story with just enough twist to keep the reader engaged and if the Blurb sounds like a book for you I can only recommend it to you warmly

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Silent Scars

Ada Frost

Surviving, #4

Release date : 28th November 2015

Her Man. Their Hero. His Pain. What happens when you pray for death and you’re ignored? You have to live.You have to survive.But what if the last thing you want is to take your next breath? To the world, Ryan is a hero, an ex-marine, brother, son and protector. He has devoted his life to keeping others safe. He will do anything and everything to ensure his loved ones are protected, even if that means destroying his very own soul. After an explosion on the battlefield ends his career in the Marine’s, Ryan is sent home with an honorable discharge. But the war hasn’t ended for him. He is home, he is free and he’s breathing, but he’s dead inside. He wants nothing more than peace, but the nightmares in his mind will not grant him that. They taunt him, tease him and torture his waking moments. The darkness within him is slowly consuming him, blackness has seeped into his veins and is rotting his core. Ryan is a man on the edge of destruction. For once he is the one in need of saving. He needs a saviour. He needs her. Ryan is commissioned as a bodyguard to Aloura Cavendish. When he initially meets her, he believes her to be a spoiled rich brat, wasting his time. But the fire inside her astounds him. When he pushes, he never expects her to push back. When he runs, she chases. For the first time in his life, Ryan has a protector willing to fight his demons. The only problem – he is too afraid to release them.

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Healing

Rachel Caid

Finding Home Book One

Release date : August 14th 2015

Rating : 4 Stars

After a devastating loss, Anna Johnston has finally gotten the pieces of her life to fit back together and has created a comfortable pattern for her and her son, Roman. Trying to protect both of their hearts, Anna has given up on dating accepting that she will never completely heal from losing Roman’s father. Noah Evans just got out of a relationship based on lies and isn’t looking for anything permanent. New to town, he and his friend and business partner are focused on finishing their new remodel and making money. One boys’ night out introduces him to Anna and all of that changes. Noah wants something real; a place to call home. He might be pushy, but Noah is determined to get what he wants. Just as Anna and Noah start to come together, someone from the past comes back to cause trouble. Can Noah convince Anna to take a chance on him and break free from the pain of her memories? Will Anna look past what she cannot change to see a future that includes Noah?

This is one of the realest story I have ever read! Not only because of the down-to-earth characters which could exixst and walk around somewhere in my neighbourhood, but also because Rachel Caid´s writing style makes you feel every single emotion that can be found in the book.

You have this basic story-line, one that makes you wish: please let them have their happy end! I love the characters! They both, Anna and Noah, have a very deep going past that definetly influenced the humans they are today. To see how they both try to figure out a way to deal with the feelings is something which got me all exited which is why I finished this book in just two sittings . One more reason for it is the fact that I just love Roman, especially when he is around Noah! The way they interact with each other is just loveable.

Talknig about the pace of this story, I have to say that it got better while in the beginning it was a bit too slow in my opinion.

Rachel Caid is one of these authors you really should keep an eye on, because without a doubt: she is talented! What a great debut novel!

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